Chapter 6 - The Loan Shark
I met the mysterious caller in a dimly lit diner on the outskirts of the city.
The man sitting in the corner booth looked like a corporate accountant, but his eyes were completely dead and cold.
"My name is Victor," he said, pushing a cup of black coffee toward me.
"Your mother owes my associates roughly half a million dollars, plus interest."
I kept my hands folded in my lap to hide their violent shaking.
"That is Eleanor's problem, not mine," I stated firmly.
Victor let out a dry, humorless chuckle.
"She put the bistro up as collateral for the final loan."
"If she doesn't pay by Friday, my people will take ownership of the building."
I stared at him, my mind racing through the legal documents I had found in the lockbox.
"She cannot use the bistro as collateral," I countered, pulling out a copy of the property deed.
"The building was solely in my father's name, and it passed directly to me upon his death."
"Eleanor forged his signature on those loan documents."
Victor looked genuinely surprised, leaning forward to inspect the paperwork.
He realized instantly that his people had been played by a desperate, lying addict.
"If this is true, our contract with her is completely null and void," Victor murmured.
"Exactly," I said, a dangerous plan forming in my mind.
"Which means you have zero claim to my restaurant, but you have every right to collect from Eleanor personally."
I slid the flash drive from the lockbox across the sticky diner table.
"This drive contains all of her secret offshore bank accounts and hidden assets."
"Take your money back from her, and leave my family's legacy alone."
Victor scooped up the flash drive, a predatory smile spreading across his face.
"You are much smarter than your mother, Samantha."
"We will handle Eleanor our own way."
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I walked out of the diner knowing I had just unleashed a pack of wolves on my own mother.
And I did not feel a single ounce of guilt.
